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FINE<br />
LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA<br />
<strong>December</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />
WAYNE’S<br />
WORLD<br />
JOHN WAYNE’S YOUTH<br />
IN GLENDALE<br />
ALIBABA<br />
PICTURES<br />
China Makes its Mark<br />
On Hollywood<br />
CHEFS’ HOLIDAYS<br />
Distinctive Recipes from<br />
Top Pasadena Chefs<br />
HOLIDAY GIFT AND<br />
EVENT GUIDES
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12.18 | ARROYO | 3
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arroyo<br />
VOLUME 14 | NUMBER 12 | DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong><br />
14<br />
29 38<br />
ENTERTAINMENT & ENTERTAINING<br />
11 WAYNE’S WORLD<br />
John Wayne found his nickname and love of acting growing up in<br />
Glendale.<br />
—By MICHAEL CERVIN<br />
14 CHEFS’ HOLIDAYS<br />
Pasadena chefs from around the world share their favorite festive recipes and<br />
traditions.<br />
—By BETTIJANE LEVINE<br />
28 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE<br />
—By IRENE LACHER<br />
33 FORGING AN EAST-WEST PIPELINE<br />
From its Pasadena offi ce, China’s Alibaba Pictures is making incursions<br />
into Hollywood.<br />
—By BRENDA REES<br />
DEPARTMENTS<br />
09 FESTIVITIES Red Hen Press, Pasadena Museum of History, Arboretum and Joni<br />
Mitchell’s 75th birthday<br />
19 ARROYO HOME SALES INDEX<br />
38 KITCHEN CONFESSIONS Nog Days<br />
39 ARROYO COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH Throwback Bar’s Old-Fashioned<br />
40 THE LIST A Christmas Carol around town, Lythgoe Family Panto at the<br />
Pasadena Civic. Rose Parade fl oats and more<br />
12.18 ARROYO | 5
EDITOR’S NOTE<br />
You may not know that the great<br />
John Wayne, who leads our Entertainment<br />
& Entertaining issue, grew<br />
up in Glendale. No particular reason<br />
you should. As Michael Cervin notes<br />
in his profi le of The Duke in his youth,<br />
the city doesn’t tout its connection<br />
to him. Both a six-ton statue of<br />
Wayne and the SoCal airport named<br />
for him are in Orange County, where<br />
he lived as an adult. It wasn’t until<br />
2014 that his alma mater Glendale<br />
High named its auditorium after him,<br />
decades after the late star disappeared<br />
from movie screens. But, as<br />
Cervin writes, Wayne’s Glendale<br />
years certainly left their mark on him, not least because they explain<br />
his popular nickname. For the surprising inspiration, turn to page 16.<br />
For our industry issue, we also look toward the future with Brenda<br />
Rees’ story about Alibaba Pictures, a division of China’s e-commerce<br />
behemoth Alibaba Group, which opened an offi ce in Pasadena in<br />
2016. Alibaba’s incursion into Hollywood is a logical move when you<br />
consider that with its 1.4 billion population, Chinese movie audiences<br />
are on track to become the world’s largest.<br />
And for those planning to entertain over the holidays, Bettijane<br />
Levine freshens your menu options with recipes from four Pasadena<br />
chefs from different cultures — Pasadena native Mark Peel of Prawn<br />
Coastal, Indonesian-born Erwin Tjahyadi of Bone Kettle and Entre<br />
Nous’ French owners Jean-Christophe Febbrari and Mathias Wakrat.<br />
They may all originally hail from different continents, but here’s one<br />
suggestion they have in common: Ditch the tired turkey and go for<br />
seafood. On page 11, they tell you how.<br />
Here’s wishing happy holidays to all our friends in <strong>Arroyo</strong>land!<br />
—Irene Lacher<br />
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Irene Lacher<br />
ART DIRECTOR Stephanie Torres<br />
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Richard Garcia<br />
PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Rochelle Bassarear<br />
EDITOR-AT-LARGE Bettijane Levine<br />
COPY EDITOR John Seeley<br />
CONTRIBUTORS Denise Abbott, Leslie Bilderback,<br />
Léon Bing, Martin Booe, Michael Cervin, Scarlet<br />
Cheng, Richard Cunningham, Noela Hueso,<br />
Kathleen Kelleher, Jana Monji, Brenda Rees, Ilsa<br />
Setziol, John Sollenberger, Nancy Spiller<br />
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Brenda Clarke,<br />
Lisa Chase, Alexandra Valdes<br />
ADVERTORIAL CONTRIBUTING EDITOR<br />
Bruce Haring<br />
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker<br />
PAYROLL Linda Lam<br />
ACCOUNTING Perla Castillo, Yiyang Wang,<br />
Quinton Wright<br />
OFFICE MANAGER Ann Turrietta<br />
PUBLISHER Dina Stegon<br />
arroyo<br />
FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA<br />
SOUTHLAND PUBLISHING<br />
V.P. OF OPERATIONS David Comden<br />
PRESIDENT Bruce Bolkin<br />
CONTACT US<br />
ADVERTISING<br />
dinas@pasadenaweekly.com<br />
EDITORIAL<br />
editor@arroyomonthly.com<br />
PHONE<br />
(626) 584-1500<br />
FAX<br />
(626) 795-0149<br />
MAILING ADDRESS<br />
50 S. De Lacey Ave., Ste. 200,<br />
Pasadena, CA 91105<br />
<strong>Arroyo</strong>Monthly.com<br />
©<strong>2018</strong> Southland Publishing, Inc.<br />
All rights reserved.<br />
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FESTIVITIES<br />
John & Ginny Cushman, Judy Wilson, Judy & Bill Opel<br />
Chaka Khan<br />
PHOTOS: M. Woo/A. Houlemard (Pasadena Museum of History); Courtesy of Red Hen Press; Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for The Music Center (JONI 75: A Birthday Celebration); Courtesy of Los Angeles Arboretum<br />
Penny Plotkin and Joyce McGilvray<br />
Marilyn Nelson<br />
Ann Hood<br />
Bill Bogaard and Libby Evans Wright<br />
Jonathan Lethem<br />
Emmylou Harris<br />
The Pasadena Museum of History honored five Contemporary History<br />
Makers at its annual black-tie gala on Nov. 10 at the California Club in<br />
downtown L.A. All the honorees — Bill and Judy Opel, Judy Wilson and<br />
John and Ginny Cushman — are active philanthropists, with dedicated<br />
Pasadena Community Foundation funds. They were celebrated at the<br />
elegant event, where guests cruised the ample silent auction before<br />
sitting down to a dinner of filet mignon… Literary lions and their fans<br />
converged on Castle Green to toast the 24th anniversary of Pasadena’s<br />
Red Hen Press at the publisher’s annual fundraising luncheon on Oct.<br />
28. Supporters were treated to readings by three award-winning Red Hen<br />
authors — poet Marilyn Nelson (Carver: A Life in Poems) and novelists<br />
Ann Hood (The Knitting Circle) and Jonathan Lethem (Motherless<br />
Brooklyn)… Joni Mitchell, the iconic lady of the canyon, made a rare<br />
onstage appearance after Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration at the Music<br />
Center in downtown L.A. on Nov. 7. The moving appearance capped<br />
an evening of her music performed by such fellow travelers as James<br />
Taylor, Brandi Carlile, Emmylou Harris, Seal, Chakha Khan, Los Lobos,<br />
Kris Kristofferson and Graham Nash, who performed Our House and<br />
revealed that he wrote the classic love song for Mitchell…The L.A. County<br />
Arboretum celebrated the Oct. 17 launch of Moonlight Forest: A Magical<br />
Lantern Art Festival, created by artisans from China’s Sichuan province.<br />
James Taylor and Joni Mitchell<br />
Brandi Carlile and Kris Kristofferson<br />
Moonlight Forest: A Magical Lantern Art Festival<br />
12.18 | ARROYO | 9
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Erwin Tjahyadi<br />
Pasadena chefs from around the<br />
world share their favorite festive<br />
recipes and traditions.<br />
BY BETTIJANE LEVINE<br />
Turon with Banana Pudding<br />
If you’re wondering what to whip up for your holiday get-together — and whether<br />
to cook from scratch or bring in precooked food — think about this: Some of<br />
the world’s great chefs, writers, philosophers and gourmets have weighed in over<br />
the years on the subject of home cooking. All seem to agree that the home-cooked<br />
offering has spirit and soul, an undefinable and mysterious essence that somehow<br />
transmits satisfaction to those who gather to eat it. And the very act of cooking is an<br />
act of giving, they say. Around the globe, in every culture and corner of the world,<br />
cooking is the ritual that causes people to gather, bond and enjoy. It doesn’t really<br />
matter whether the food is plain or fancy.<br />
“The best meals occur in a context that frequently has very little to do with the<br />
food itself,” said the late celebrity chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain, who<br />
also said that “food may not be the answer to world peace, but it’s a start.”<br />
So stop pondering and start planning something that will be very simple to prepare<br />
but delivers to guests a heartwarming, tasty gift from you — the preparer. Here<br />
in <strong>Arroyo</strong>land we have extraordinary access to foods from around the globe — from<br />
the profusion of small ethnic shops selling exotic spices and herbs to huge emporiums<br />
that offer gourmet delicacies. And we have an equally diverse and expandng array of<br />
dining spots headed by renowned chefs. We spoke to three who hail from different<br />
parts of the world to get their take on what holiday entertaining means in their<br />
culture, and what they like to serve. Surprisingly, many of them mentioned fish.<br />
–continued on page 12<br />
12.18 | ARROYO | 11
Mark Peel<br />
–continued from page 11<br />
MARK PEEL<br />
Prawn Coastal<br />
Renowned American chef Mark Peel is a Pasadena native who has cooked for the one-percenters for much<br />
of his life. Starting with Wolfgang Puck’s Spago, he went on to Chez Panisse in Berkeley, then Tour d’Argent<br />
and Le Moulin de Mougins in France. Then he cofounded Los Angeles’ La Brea Bakery and the world-class,<br />
award-winning restaurant Campanile, where for about 25 years he helped redefine fine dining with an emphasis<br />
on farm-to-table fresh food.<br />
Peel opened the seafood-centric Prawn Coastal in Pasadena about a year ago. It’s his concept of fine dining<br />
with a casual twist and approachable prices, and everything’s available for takeout. “It’s the biggest part of our<br />
business,” he says.<br />
We caught up with Peel by phone while he was collecting his 9-year-old son from gymnastics class, and he<br />
was philosophical about holiday entertaining: “In a funny way, I think holiday parties or party eating is often<br />
not so much about food as it is about the company. With great people you could be eating cotton candy and tofu<br />
and it doesn’t really matter. In fact, it’s great to serve something very easy to prepare, so the host doesn’t have to<br />
spend much time and effort doing it.<br />
“One of my favorite things is to get a whole filet of salmon, take the skin off and the pin bones out, and sear<br />
it. Then gently braise it in a little bit of vegetable broth. The fish will give the broth its own flavor. This doesn’t<br />
take long to do, it really doesn’t take much effort, and it’s a beautiful presentation.”<br />
“What’s also really good is doing something like little soft tacos. Some pulled pork with assorted accompaniments<br />
like pickled onions, pickled cabbage and salsa. And some grated cheese, like a really good fontina. And<br />
diced tomatoes. One small benefit of global warming is that we get really good tomatoes right up to the end of<br />
the year. With something like tacos, the host doesn’t have to continually be cooking. You have the hot pulled<br />
pork, the warm steamed tortillas and maybe you butter them a bit, with a little bit of garlic. Just lay it all out and<br />
let the guests build their own. They can stand and hold the tacos while they converse.”<br />
Peel says he remembers doing a birthday party years ago for the popular food critic and author Ruth Reichl.<br />
“There were all those famous folks and foodies, and I made just these little soft tacos with all the fixings and<br />
they were a very big success,” he recalls. “If you take something really simple and do it really, really well, you<br />
can’t beat it.”<br />
12 | ARROYO | 12.18
STURGEON OR SALMON IN A RED WINE SAUCE<br />
This is based on a classic French matelote, a fish stew made with river fish<br />
(often eel) and red wine. We’ve done it at the restaurant with sturgeon, salmon<br />
and trout. Monkfish also works well. I think of the dish as a winter fish stew,<br />
with rich, complex flavors. It’s a convenient dish for entertaining because you can<br />
have everything prepared ahead of time, then cook the fish in the red wine sauce<br />
at the last moment. Instead of the fish stock, you can use half chicken broth and<br />
half water. Fish stock is preferable, but you can buy chicken broth at the store.<br />
Ingredients<br />
¼ pound bacon (about 4 strips), cut<br />
crosswise in ¼-inch strips<br />
2 tablespoons water<br />
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour<br />
½ medium onion, sliced crosswise<br />
against the grain<br />
Kosher salt<br />
A bouquet garni made with a few<br />
sprigs each parsley and thyme, a bay<br />
leaf, 2 garlic cloves, (halved and green<br />
shoots removed) and 1½ teaspoons<br />
peppercorns<br />
2 cups red wine, such as pinot noir<br />
2 cups chicken stock or 1 cup canned<br />
broth and 1 cup water<br />
8 pearl onions, blanched and peeled, or<br />
small spring onions (bulbs only)<br />
1 tablespoon unsalted butter<br />
3 ounces wild mushrooms, cut in<br />
½-inch-thick slices or separated into<br />
small clumps (depending on the type<br />
of mushroom)<br />
Freshly ground black pepper<br />
2 pounds sturgeon, monkfish, salmon<br />
or trout fillets<br />
Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, for<br />
garnish<br />
Method<br />
1. Combine the bacon with the water in a large saucepan over medium heat and<br />
cook, stirring from time to time, until the bacon is lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.<br />
Add the flour and cook, stirring, for a minute, then add the onion and ½ teaspoon<br />
salt. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the bouquet garni<br />
and the wine and bring to a boil, stirring the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon<br />
to deglaze. Add the stock (or broth and water), bring to a simmer, cover, reduce the<br />
heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring often. Strain through a medium strainer and<br />
set aside<br />
2. Meanwhile, make a small slit with a paring knife in the ends of the pearl or<br />
spring onions. Heat the butter in a wide, lidded skillet over medium heat and add<br />
the onions and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until beginning to color, 3 to 4<br />
minutes, then add the mushrooms. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until tender,<br />
about 5 minutes. Stir from time to time and add 1 tablespoon of water if the pan<br />
dries out and the vegetables begin to stick. Taste and adjust the salt. When tender,<br />
add the strained red wine sauce and simmer 5 minutes.<br />
3. Taste the wine sauce and add salt and pepper as needed. Remove from the heat<br />
if not serving right away. Shortly before serving, bring the sauce to a simmer. Season<br />
the fish fillets with salt and pepper and add to the sauce. They should be barely<br />
covered with the sauce. Cover and cook gently, being careful not to allow the sauce to<br />
boil, until cooked through but not falling apart, about 8 to 10 minutes for sturgeon or<br />
monkfish, 5 minutes for salmon, 3 minutes for trout fillets. Taste the sauce again and<br />
adjust the seasonings.<br />
4. Remove the fish to a warm platter and spoon on some of the sauce with the<br />
onions and mushrooms over and around the fish. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve<br />
with boiled potatoes or fresh noodles.<br />
Note: If serving with noodles (I recommend pappardelle or wide egg noodles),<br />
mound the cooked noodles on a large platter. Arrange the fish fillets on top of the<br />
noodles and spoon on a generous amount of sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.<br />
Reprinted with permission from New Classic Family Dinners by Mark Peel<br />
(Wiley; 2009).<br />
–continued on page 14<br />
12.18 | ARROYO | 13
Mathias Wakrat and Jean-Christope Febbrari<br />
Moules Provençales<br />
–continued from page 13<br />
MATHIAS WAKRAT AND JEAN-CHRISTOPHE FEBBRARI<br />
Entre Nous<br />
New on Pasadena’s culinary landscape is Entre Nous, which opened in October.<br />
It’s owned by chefs Mathias Wakrat and Jean-Christophe Febbrari. Both were<br />
born in small French Riviera towns not far from each other, but they didn’t meet<br />
until they came to Eagle Rock, where both worked in the kitchen of Cafe Beaujolais.<br />
They became best friends, eventually taking the Beaujolais over as owners, and<br />
for 20 years their successful French cafe served up what Gayot.com called “more<br />
genuine bistro charm than most of their better known Westside counterparts,”<br />
with the kind of “simple, unpretentious fare you’d find at a family-run bistro in<br />
Paris.”<br />
We asked Mathias why they decided to open in Pasadena. “My partner, Jean-<br />
Christophe, has lived in Pasadena for 20 years with his wife and kids. So our<br />
families spent a lot of time there together. We never wanted a second restaurant<br />
location, but we always used to look at that particular spot on Green Street, where<br />
there was already a restaurant [Ración], and we used to say it would be a perfect<br />
place for a bistro like ours. Then it became available and we couldn’t resist. So we<br />
sold our shares in Beaujolais and made the move.”<br />
Asked about his holiday food memories growing up in France and his thoughts<br />
on holiday cooking, he said, “Where we’re from, on the Riviera, is different from<br />
big cities like Paris or L.A. We come from small coastal villages, so everything<br />
has to have fish. There was no special holiday dish I remember growing up. We<br />
always ate bouillabaisse, even at the holidays. We grew up with that, we love it and<br />
we serve it as much as we can at Entre Nous. Of course it’s not exactly the same<br />
as in France because we don’t have the rockfish here that we have there. The fish<br />
we serve here depends on the daily catch. Whatever is the most fresh and highest<br />
quality at the market that day is what we put in our fish stew. We also had sea bass<br />
in France growing up. We serve that over lentils at Entre Nous, along with mussels<br />
and all sorts of other great regional dishes that are like those where we’re from. We<br />
have amazing escargots on the menu that we import directly from the Burgundy<br />
region.” Most popular so far in the restaurant’s short tenure, he says, is ribeye steak<br />
with peppercorn sauce and fries.<br />
Is there something special he’d recommend for a small casual holiday dinner<br />
party? “Anything French,” he says with a chuckle. “You might try serving mussels<br />
and homemade French fries with a green salad afterward, which is when the<br />
French serve their salads. And perhaps a crème brûlée for dessert.”<br />
Moules Provençales (Mussels)<br />
Proportions are for one order<br />
Ingredients<br />
3 tablespoons butter<br />
1 tablespoon minced shallots<br />
2 ounces white wine<br />
1 pound mussels<br />
2 ounces heavy cream<br />
1 tablespoon chopped parsley<br />
Freshly ground pepper<br />
Sea salt<br />
Method<br />
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large sauté pan on high heat, then add shallots,<br />
white wine and mussels. Cover, and when the mussels start opening, add heavy<br />
cream, 2 tablespoons butter, parsley, pepper and a small pinch of sea salt. Cover<br />
again. When mussels are all open, remove them to a bowl with a slotted spoon.<br />
Reduce the liquid in the pan by one-third, taste for seasoning, pour liquid over<br />
mussels and sprinkle generously with more freshly chopped parsley. Enjoy with<br />
homemade French fries.<br />
14 | ARROYO |12.18
TURON (Fried banana rolls)<br />
ERWIN TJAHYADI<br />
Bone Kettle<br />
Chef Erwin Tjahyadi of Pasadena’s Bone Kettle restaurant was born in Indonesia<br />
and made his mark as a chef here by keeping Asian culinary traditions alive. “Being<br />
Asian, you’re always interested in assimilating both cultures, and the holidays are a<br />
time when it’s fun to do that,” he says. “In America, the traditional holiday dinner<br />
might be turkey or a great ham. To add an Asian touch, it’s all about incorporating<br />
spices and herbs that are indigenous to Southeast Asian cooking, although you’re<br />
using them on food that is not necessarily available in Southeast Asia. We actually<br />
don’t have much ham in Indonesia, for example. It’s a luxury item. But if you add<br />
sambal, which is Indonesian chili sauce, to turkey or ham, it’s a great way to introduce<br />
Southeast Asian flavor and also put a little heat into your dishes. You can also add<br />
sambal to batter or curry or sauces and use it with any meal as a condiment. It’s very<br />
versatile.<br />
“At holiday season we love using yellow turmeric rice as a staple with all our<br />
savory meat dishes. It’s bright yellow, has a beautiful aroma and is distinctive in taste.<br />
And it’s easy to make at home. You can shape it into a beautiful cone, something like<br />
a Christmas tree.<br />
“We also love to infuse pandan essence into our desserts and baked goods. Pandan<br />
is a leaf that grows in Southeast Asia. It adds a beautiful green flavor that’s unique,<br />
naturally sweet, fragrant and delicious — just right for baking at the holidays. For<br />
dessert, maybe a jackfruit eggroll served with banana pudding for dipping.”<br />
We’re lucky there are so many Asian groceries nearby where all these things are<br />
available, Tjahyadi notes, making it easy for anyone who loves Asian flavors to try<br />
adding them to holiday dishes.<br />
Ingredients<br />
12 bananas, sliced<br />
2 ripe jackfruit<br />
1½ cups brown sugar<br />
Ingredients<br />
8-ounce package of cream cheese<br />
14-ounce can of condensed milk<br />
1 packet of vanilla pudding mix<br />
1½ cups milk<br />
12 pieces spring roll wrapper<br />
2 cups cooking oil<br />
Powdered sugar<br />
Method<br />
1. Pour the brown sugar onto a plate, and roll each banana slice in it, ensuring that<br />
it is coated with enough sugar. Place the coated banana in a spring roll wrapper and<br />
add about 6 ounces of jackfruit. Fold and lock the spring roll wrapper, using water to<br />
seal the edge.<br />
2. In a pan, heat the oil and add leftover brown sugar. When the brown sugar<br />
floats, add wrapped banana and fry until the wrapper turns golden brown and the<br />
extra sugar sticks to the wrapper. Dust powdered sugar on the banana and serve with<br />
banana pudding (see below) for dipping.<br />
1½ cups heavy cream<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
4 ounces of whipped cream<br />
2 to 3 bananas, sliced<br />
BANANA PUDDING<br />
Method<br />
Place all ingredients in a bowl, mix together and serve cold in individual bowls. ||||<br />
12.18 | ARROYO | 15
WAYNE’S WORLD<br />
John Wayne found his nickname and love of acting growing up in Glendale.<br />
BY<br />
MICHAEL CERVIN<br />
16 | ARROYO | 12.18<br />
Like many boys, young John Wayne had a dog, a big Airedale terrier named Duke. He<br />
took Duke everywhere, including the Glendale fire station on the way to school. The<br />
firefighters started calling Wayne, whose real name was Marion Morrison, “Little Duke,”<br />
since the dog was bigger than the boy. The name stuck, and so did Glendale’s imprint on his<br />
youth.<br />
“People see John Wayne as this larger-than-life character, but he was really just this little<br />
kid, Duke Morrison from Glendale,” says local historian Michael Morgan. Morgan sits on<br />
the Glendale Historic Preservation Commission and has lectured on John Wayne’s legacy in<br />
Glendale.<br />
John Wayne was born May 26, 1907, in Winterset, Iowa, but his family soon moved to<br />
Palmdale, California, where his druggist father decided to try his hand at ranching, an ill-fated<br />
endeavor that failed within two years. During that period, the family would visit Glendale on<br />
Sundays, mainly at the urging of Wayne’s mother who preferred the city to Palmdale because<br />
of its large population of former Iowans. So in 1915, when Little Duke was 9 years old, his<br />
family resettled in Glendale. His father again found work as a pharmacist, while Wayne attended<br />
Woodrow Wilson Middle School (formerly called the Third Street Intermediate School<br />
when it opened its doors in 1911).<br />
PHOTO: Courtesy of the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley
PHOTOS: Courtesy of the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley<br />
But the Waynes remained transient, moving 10 times around Glendale between<br />
1915 and 1925 because money was tight, according to Morgan. Yet it was also an<br />
“optimistic time,” he notes. The city was growing exponentially, creating more opportunities,<br />
and Wayne’s father even had his own pharmacy, Baird and Morrison; the<br />
younger Wayne would often make deliveries for his dad on his bike. In 1915 there<br />
were some 12,000 people in Glendale. By the end of 1920 there were 30,000. Despite<br />
the constant uprooting, the popular Wayne always did well in school and avoided<br />
trouble.<br />
At Glendale Union High School, Wayne performed well in both academics and<br />
sports, particularly football — the latter not surprising, given his 6-foot, 4-inch<br />
frame. Wayne was on his high school debate team, served as president of the Latin<br />
Society and contributed to the school newspaper’s sports column. The energetic<br />
Wayne also served as senior class president and chairperson of the senior dance and<br />
he performed in several plays. The youth was so active that he is pictured half a dozen<br />
times in his 1925 student yearbook. Yet only one pursuit determined his life’s work.<br />
As Wayne’s son Ethan Wayne told the Los Angeles Times in 2014, Glendale High was<br />
“where his path in drama really started.” Wayne was also part of the school’s football<br />
team when it won the 1924 league championship. On graduating, Wayne applied<br />
to the U.S. Naval Academy but wasn’t accepted. So he attended USC, majoring in<br />
pre-law and playing on its football team. But a broken collarbone from a bodysurfing<br />
mishap changed his course. He lost his athletic scholarship and left USC.<br />
But that’s when Hollywood found him, first as a prop man in films, and then as a<br />
stand-in at Fox Film Corporation, before legendary director John Ford cast him in a<br />
small but pivotal part in the forgettable 1928 film Mother Machree.<br />
Curiously, hardly anyone knows that John Wayne spent his youth in Glendale.<br />
There are no streets named after him, no plaques or memorials, only one building<br />
(more on that later). In 2008, when a 21-foot-tall bronze statue of Wayne on a horse<br />
needed to be moved from Beverly Hills, Morgan petitioned the Glendale City Council<br />
to relocate it in Glendale — but nada. “There was no political will,” Morgan says.<br />
Instead, Newport Beach, where Wayne lived as an adult, acquired the nearly six-ton<br />
monument. In June 1979 the Orange County Board of Supervisors renamed the<br />
Orange County Airport John Wayne Airport, but it wasn’t until 2014 that Glendale’s<br />
–continued on page 18<br />
12.18 | ARROYO | 17
–continued from page 17<br />
most famous resident gained even the slightest recognition locally. Glendale<br />
High’s 1,559-seat auditorium was crowned the John Wayne Performing Arts<br />
Center. “I think it’s really nice,” Ethan Wayne told the L.A. Times. “Dad liked<br />
learning, he liked sports, he liked activities.” So, why a veritable void of acknowledgment?<br />
“A lot of people have no institutional memory of Glendale,” Morgan<br />
tells <strong>Arroyo</strong> Monthly. He points out the disconnect between an American hero<br />
like John Wayne and Glendale’s large Armenian community, which succeeded<br />
him. Part of Wayne’s absence was also political. The Vietnam War was a defining<br />
issue for a generation and Wayne, a staunch conservative and friend of Ronald<br />
Reagan’s, riled many to his left. “Regardless, he’s Mom, Dad and apple pie,”<br />
Morgan says of Wayne’s wholesome, independent spirit.<br />
“I’ve always followed my father’s advice,” Wayne once said. “He told me, first,<br />
to always keep my word and, second, to never insult anybody unintentionally.<br />
And, third, he told me not to go around looking for trouble.” But trouble did find<br />
John Wayne. During the last 15 years of his life, he fought various battles with<br />
cancer — he was a smoker — and in 1965 underwent surgery for lung cancer.<br />
But it was a form of stomach cancer that stopped the Duke in his tracks. He died<br />
from complications in June 1979. Just a month before his death, he made his last<br />
public appearance at the 51st Academy Awards ceremony where he handed out<br />
the Oscar for Best Picture. The Music Center audience erupted into a standing<br />
ovation. “That’s just about the only medicine a fellow would ever need,” Wayne<br />
told the crowd.<br />
But love and admiration go only so far; time dissolves memories, the strong<br />
become weak. These days, kids at Glendale High School may have to Google<br />
John Wayne because they don’t know who he was or why a building has his<br />
name on it. Yet the city’s memory of Duke lives on. Says Morgan: “John Wayne<br />
embodies all the good things about Glendale.” ||||<br />
18 | ARROYO | 12.18
arroyo<br />
~HOME SALES INDEX~<br />
HOME SALES<br />
0.14%<br />
AVG. PRICE/SQ. FT.<br />
0.01%<br />
Oct.<br />
2017<br />
574<br />
HOMES<br />
SOLD<br />
<br />
Oct.<br />
<strong>2018</strong><br />
579HOMES<br />
SOLD<br />
HOME SALES ABOVE $900,000<br />
source: CalREsource<br />
ADDRESS CLOSE DATE PRICE BDRMS. SQ. FT. YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE PREV. SOLD<br />
ALHAMBRA<br />
217 South Atlantic Boulevard 10/12/18 $2,500,000 3 1404 1949 01/20/1995<br />
425 North Monterey Street 10/10/18 $1,200,000 3 2142 1952 $890,000 03/26/2015<br />
2611 Montezuma Avenue 10/01/18 $1,118,000 7 3174 1971 $800,000 06/22/2007<br />
310 South 7th Street 10/17/18 $970,000 2 948 1923 $590,000 08/21/2017<br />
2615 West Norwood Place 10/15/18 $900,000 4 1952 1930 $635,000 10/31/2005<br />
ALTADENA<br />
1964 Midlothian Drive 10/11/18 $1,850,000 3 2524 1952 $1,236,000 09/01/2004<br />
1858 East Mendocino Street 10/04/18 $1,603,000 3 3678 1950 $599,000 01/06/2004<br />
2152 Roosevelt Avenue 10/19/18 $1,430,000 3 2083 1939 $1,252,000 09/01/2016<br />
2040 El Molino Avenue 10/17/18 $1,250,000 4 2543 1927 $460,000 03/20/2012<br />
1931 Harding Avenue 10/24/18 $1,250,000 4 1701 1946 $685,000 08/03/2010<br />
2518 Ganesha Avenue 10/12/18 $1,200,000 3 1782 1948 03/22/2000<br />
594 Alameda Street 10/17/18 $1,150,000 4 2943 1960 $858,000 05/03/<strong>2018</strong><br />
1120 Madre Vista Road 10/05/18 $979,000 3 1985 1948 $208,000 10/30/1996<br />
179 East Loma Alta Drive 10/19/18 $910,000 4 1399 1965 $631,000 12/26/2017<br />
ARCADIA<br />
215 Hacienda Drive 10/12/18 $3,920,000 4 5539 1936 $2,450,000 06/10/2005<br />
1400 South 6th Avenue 10/11/18 $1,600,000 6 3178 1935 $1,360,000 04/23/2013<br />
823 Wigwam Avenue 10/24/18 $1,150,000 4 2258 1968 $845,000 03/29/2007<br />
522 Peachtree Lane 10/01/18 $1,108,000 3 1979 1956<br />
28 East Santa Anita Terrace 10/02/18 $1,020,000 4 2045 1961 $833,000 03/27/2006<br />
1935 South 6th Avenue 10/24/18 $1,019,000 2 1278 1951 $365,000 09/07/1988<br />
598 South 2nd Avenue #A 10/25/18 $988,000 3 2369 2007 $770,000 05/30/2008<br />
1005 Wigwam Avenue 10/10/18 $960,000 3 1645 1953 $185,000 09/30/1996<br />
E AGLE ROCK<br />
1201 Eagle Vista Drive 10/04/18 $1,310,000 2 1948 1955 $750,000 07/31/2009<br />
1822 Hill Drive 10/09/18 $1,070,000 3 1444 1927 $665,000 05/13/2015<br />
GLENDALE<br />
360 Kempton Road 10/17/18 $2,285,000 4 2962 1967 $1,580,000 02/23/<strong>2018</strong><br />
666 Robin Glen Drive 10/19/18 $1,790,000 3 3104 1969 $982,000 09/17/2013<br />
1751 Cielito Drive 10/17/18 $1,650,000 3 2775 1962 $425,000 06/22/1987<br />
1518 North Columbus Avenue 10/05/18 $1,615,000 4 3111 1925 $500,909 03/17/2014<br />
933 Misty Isle Drive 10/22/18 $1,600,000 5 2992 1970 $1,290,000 01/23/2008<br />
971 Rosemount Road 10/11/18 $1,505,000 4 2690 1937 $980,000 10/27/2004<br />
1916 Niodrara Drive 10/10/18 $1,470,000 3 3012 1941 $135,000 02/01/1977<br />
735 Luring Drive 10/05/18 $1,390,000 4 2554 1992 $1,500,000 05/13/2014<br />
1515 Opechee Way 10/10/18 $1,350,000 4 2525 1941 03/03/1992<br />
1234 Mariposa Street 10/17/18 $1,320,000 9 4080 1963 $1,150,000 10/18/2007<br />
3203 Emerald Isle Drive 10/12/18 $1,300,000 5 2700 1968 $1,069,010 04/17/<strong>2018</strong><br />
1523 Colina Drive 10/12/18 $1,275,000 4 2499 1969 $1,120,000 06/30/2006<br />
3520 Fallenleaf Place 10/10/18 $1,255,000 4 3047 1985 $800,000 09/27/2011<br />
1905 Gardena Avenue 10/05/18 $1,200,000 6 2326 1912<br />
2417 East Glenoaks Boulevard 10/12/18 $1,200,000 5 2524 1929 $775,000 08/12/2014<br />
1520 Idlewood Road 10/25/18 $1,157,000 4 1863 1926 $245,000 08/02/1996<br />
3827 Los Amigos Street 10/10/18 $1,140,000 5 2460 1958 $925,000 11/28/2006<br />
4334 Acampo Avenue 10/12/18 $1,060,000 3 1495 1958 $235,000 03/28/1997<br />
1024 Geneva Street 10/16/18 $1,040,500 3 2376 1939 $445,000 03/19/2002<br />
2021 Oak Valley Road 10/02/18 $1,008,000 3 1473 1955 $537,000 04/30/2003<br />
998 Calle Amable 10/19/18 $1,000,000 4 2615 1989 $910,000 03/25/2016<br />
1109 Cordova Avenue 10/10/18 $950,000 3 1522 1927 $765,000 09/07/2005<br />
946 Verdugo Circle Drive 10/10/18 $935,000 3 1439 1942 $568,500 02/25/2011<br />
118 South Kenwood Street #50510/11/18 $935,000 2 1450 2015 $899,000 09/21/2016<br />
3011 Pinewood Lane 10/10/18 $930,000 4 2296 1983 $335,000 07/30/1991<br />
634 Salem Street 10/18/18 $930,000 3 1597 1921 $681,000 03/15/2016<br />
616 Luton Drive 10/11/18 $910,000 3 1442 1951 $210,000 04/13/1993<br />
ALHAMBRA OCT.’17 OCT.’18<br />
Homes Sold 31 27<br />
Median Price $585,000 $625,000<br />
Median Sq. Ft. 1343 1404<br />
ALTADENA OCT.’17 OCT.’18<br />
Homes Sold 25 31<br />
Median Price $836,000 $880,000<br />
Median Sq. Ft. 1570 1701<br />
ARCADIA OCT.’17 OCT.’18<br />
Homes Sold 22 12<br />
Median Price $1,097,500 $1,003,500<br />
Median Sq. Ft. 2326 19445<br />
EAGLE ROCK OCT.’17 OCT.’18<br />
Homes Sold 13 5<br />
Median Price $801,000 $909,250<br />
Median Sq. Ft. 1732 1455<br />
GLENDALE OCT.’17 OCT.’18<br />
Homes Sold 59 70<br />
Median Price $720,000 $708,500<br />
Median Sq. Ft. 1471 1446<br />
LA CAÑADA OCT.’17 OCT.’18<br />
Homes Sold 10 19<br />
Median Price $1,570,000 $1,465,000<br />
Median Sq. Ft. 2618 2193<br />
PASADENA OCT.’17 OCT.’18<br />
Homes Sold 82 109<br />
Median Price $732,250 $790,000<br />
Median Sq. Ft. 1452 1366<br />
SAN MARINO OCT.’17 OCT.’18<br />
Homes Sold 6 8<br />
Median Price $2,494,000 $2,174,000<br />
Median Sq. Ft. 2574 2507<br />
SIERRA MADRE OCT.’17 OCT.’18<br />
Homes Sold 5 5<br />
Median Price $830,000 $900,000<br />
Median Sq. Ft. 1619 2036<br />
SOUTH PASADENA OCT.’17 OCT.’18<br />
Homes Sold 8 12<br />
Median Price $854,500 $1,136,750<br />
Median Sq. Ft. 1571 1757<br />
TOTAL OCT.’17 OCT.’18<br />
Homes Sold 261 289<br />
Avg Price/Sq. Ft. $574 $579<br />
–continued on page 21<br />
The <strong>Arroyo</strong> Home Sales Index is calculated from residential home sales in Pasadena and the surrounding communities of South Pasadena, San Marino, La Canada Flintridge, Eagle Rock, Glendale (including Montrose), Altadena, Sierra<br />
Madre, Arcadia and Alhambra. Individual home sales data provided by CalREsource. <strong>Arroyo</strong> Home Sales Index © <strong>Arroyo</strong> <strong>2018</strong>. Complete home sales listings appear each week in Pasadena Weekly.<br />
12.18 ARROYO | 19
20 | ARROYO | 12.18
–continued from page 19<br />
ADDRESS CLOSE DATE PRICE BDRMS. SQ. FT. YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE PREV. SOLD<br />
GLENDALE<br />
3421 Rosemary Avenue 10/10/18 $900,500 2 1089 1945 $155,000 04/02/1987<br />
4228 Boston Avenue 10/01/18 $900,000 2 1645 1942 $759,000 07/29/2014<br />
LA CAÑADA<br />
519 Meadow Grove Street 10/16/18 $4,800,000 8 7502 1924 $8,909,090 07/16/1991<br />
524 Dartmouth Place 10/02/18 $3,360,000 4 4729 1929 $3,400,000 01/30/2007<br />
781 Greenridge Drive 10/15/18 $2,833,000 5 3783 1997 $980,000 11/26/1997<br />
4619 Daleridge Road 10/02/18 $2,360,000 4 3689 2008 $1,630,000 05/31/2012<br />
4191 Chevy Chase Drive 10/17/18 $2,050,000 4 3324 1941 $285,000 05/31/1985<br />
5212 Haskell Street 10/11/18 $1,770,000 4 2388 1966<br />
5021 Angeles Crest Highway 10/04/18 $1,735,000 3 1719 1951 $1,040,000 09/26/2017<br />
5112 Redwillow Lane 10/01/18 $1,560,000 3 1844 1956 $1,215,000 03/11/2016<br />
4096 Robin Hill Road 10/04/18 $1,495,000 4 2400 1958<br />
1035 Olive Lane 10/10/18 $1,465,000 4 2355 1949 $625,000 06/30/2000<br />
4175 Chevy Chase Drive 10/16/18 $1,418,500 3 1925 1957 $220,000 06/15/1984<br />
5647 Ocean View Boulevard 10/09/18 $1,400,000 3 2193 1962 $310,000 09/22/1995<br />
786 Starlight Heights Drive 10/05/18 $1,382,500 3 1974 1976 $325,000 10/08/1987<br />
185 Starlight Crest Drive 10/02/18 $1,275,000 3 1930 1966 $565,000 10/16/1991<br />
2111 Bristow Drive 10/23/18 $1,235,000 3 1912 1962 $1,013,000 08/31/2016<br />
4909 Rupert Lane 10/12/18 $1,200,000 3 1549 1947<br />
4414 Wasatch Drive 10/10/18 $1,195,000 3 1801 1951 $789,000 04/12/2013<br />
1413 Curran Street 10/25/18 $1,080,000 5 2353 1911<br />
4410 Wyncrest Way 10/16/18 $1,065,000 4 1452 1961 $325,000 12/13/2004<br />
PASADENA<br />
721 Madre Street 10/25/18 $3,650,000 4 4875 1938 $3,100,000 01/04/2008<br />
380 Waverly Drive 10/12/18 $3,500,000 5 4982 1903 $1,095,000 03/24/2000<br />
410 South Grand Avenue 10/12/18 $3,132,500 4 3847 1905 $2,550,000 07/31/2015<br />
1305 South Oak Knoll Avenue 10/10/18 $3,060,000 4 3498 1917 $1,600,000 07/26/2016<br />
639 La Loma Road 10/24/18 $2,604,000 5 2749 1926 $1,842,500 03/30/2010<br />
639 La Loma Road 10/24/18 $2,604,000 5 2749 1926 $1,842,500 03/30/2010<br />
2070 Kinclair Drive 10/12/18 $1,990,000 3 4953 1994 $1,150,000 06/20/2002<br />
920 Granite Drive #405 10/18/18 $1,938,000 3 2340 2009 $1,275,000 11/24/2010<br />
920 Granite Drive #405 10/18/18 $1,938,000 3 2340 2009 $1,275,000 11/24/2010<br />
1802 North Mar Vista Avenue 10/24/18 $1,900,000 6 3559 1920 $1,458,000 01/21/2015<br />
1987 Windover Road 10/26/18 $1,900,000 3 2632 1953<br />
509 Linda Vista Avenue 10/05/18 $1,800,000 3 2726 1989 $1,575,000 06/07/2007<br />
1170 Laurel Street 10/15/18 $1,725,000 3 1576 1948 $1,505,000 06/11/2014<br />
562 South Rosemead Boulevard 10/16/18 $1,530,000 5 3116 1924<br />
1260 Club House Drive 10/05/18 $1,470,000 4 2002 1955<br />
1705 La Cresta Drive 10/04/18 $1,400,000 3 2162 1954<br />
400 North Michigan Avenue 10/04/18 $1,300,000 0 0 $430,000 12/15/2015<br />
456 Glen Holly Drive 10/09/18 $1,210,000 3 2032 1977 $245,000 12/29/1995<br />
44 <strong>Arroyo</strong> Drive #302 10/11/18 $1,189,000 2 2610 2008 $1,050,000 04/05/2016<br />
920 Seco Street 10/25/18 $1,110,000 3 1926 1894 $799,000 12/17/2010<br />
990 East Howard Street 10/16/18 $1,100,000 5 2480 1912<br />
1033 South Euclid Avenue 10/04/18 $1,075,000 2 1227 1947 $810,000 04/04/2017<br />
1751 Rose Villa Street 10/11/18 $1,075,000 3 1664 1924 03/18/1999<br />
1177 Nithsdale Road 10/12/18 $1,055,000 2 1190 1936 $287,500 05/18/1987<br />
257 South Hudson Avenue #10410/10/18 $1,038,000 3 1620 2009 $920,000 09/19/2014<br />
1696 Fiske Avenue 10/12/18 $1,025,000 5 2782 1922 $20,500 01/17/1975<br />
1009 Cynthia Avenue 10/24/18 $1,005,000 4 2116 1951 $867,500 07/06/2007<br />
214 South San Marino Avenue 10/02/18 $990,000 3 1830 1922 $655,000 03/21/2013<br />
2223 East Dudley Street 10/04/18 $961,000 3 1606 1929 $635,000 07/15/2011<br />
2384 Galbreth Road 10/04/18 $950,000 3 2118 1942 $260,000 04/28/1998<br />
2054 Galbreth Road 10/10/18 $950,000 3 1763 1935 $195,000 07/09/1987<br />
2100 Las Lunas Street 10/16/18 $950,000 3 1706 1925 $640,000 08/03/2011<br />
209 South Oakland Avenue #A 10/18/18 $916,000 3 1641 1979 $620,000 07/03/2012<br />
209 South Oakland Avenue #A 10/18/18 $916,000 3 1641 1979 $620,000 07/03/2012<br />
1413 Cheviotdale Drive 10/25/18 $915,500 3 1260 1958 $557,000 02/26/2004<br />
509 South Marengo Avenue #110/09/18 $910,000 2 1470 2006 $675,000 06/07/2007<br />
545 North Chester Avenue 10/04/18 $900,000 4 1942 1909<br />
555 North Summit Avenue 10/22/18 $900,000 6 2052 1997 $199,000 06/04/1998<br />
SAN MARINO<br />
1351 Bedford Road 10/04/18 $4,950,000 5 5406 1936 $5,200,000 07/01/2016<br />
2168 Adair Street 10/18/18 $4,700,000 3 1965 1939 $1,600,000 10/15/2013<br />
2793 Gainsborough Drive 10/15/18 $2,720,000 3 3010 1949 $2,588,000 08/13/2014<br />
2385 Melville Drive 10/26/18 $2,210,000 3 2473 1939 $1,380,000 07/29/2011<br />
425 Pilgrim Place 10/17/18 $2,138,000 4 2639 1956 $1,730,000 06/27/2017<br />
2299 Ashbourne Drive 10/10/18 $1,875,000 3 2541 1940 $265,000 09/08/1983<br />
2630 Lorain Road 10/05/18 $1,650,000 2 2005 1940<br />
1950 Robin Road 10/15/18 $1,620,000 3 2037 1955 $255,000 09/19/1985<br />
SIERRA MADRE<br />
687 Monterey Place 10/02/18 $1,300,000 4 2316 1914 $800,000 03/04/2005<br />
610 East Sierra Madre Boulevard 10/04/18 $1,265,000 4 2088 1953 $690,000 02/01/2010<br />
407 West Orange Grove Avenue 10/02/18 $900,000 2 1735 1960 $178,000 01/03/1980<br />
SOUTH PASADENA<br />
621 Meridian Avenue 10/05/18 $1,555,000 3 1844 1901 $1,020,000 04/16/2007<br />
1612 Camino Lindo 10/17/18 $1,550,000 2 2071 1967 $525,000 07/26/1988<br />
1507 Rollin Street 10/05/18 $1,333,000 3 2026 1908 $575,000 06/01/2012<br />
1665 Via Del Rey 10/23/18 $1,300,000 4 2188 1964<br />
2060 Primrose Avenue 10/26/18 $1,250,000 3 1296 1939 $530,000 09/19/2002<br />
1114 Fairview Avenue 10/11/18 $1,245,500 4 1760 1948 $1,400,000 07/24/<strong>2018</strong><br />
1257 Huntington Drive #E 10/05/18 $1,028,000 3 1757 1984 $810,000 02/13/2017<br />
831 Montrose Avenue 10/17/18 $990,000 3 1253 1924 $126,000 01/22/1986<br />
12.18 ARROYO | 21
22 | ARROYO | 12.18
ARROYO<br />
HOME & DESIGN<br />
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT<br />
BUILDING A GREAT HOME THEATER<br />
EXPERIENCE ISN’T COMPLICATED<br />
Technology Has Made Your Home Entertainment Options Better Than Ever<br />
BY BRUCE HARING<br />
There’s a business saying favored by entrepreneurs who are seeking to<br />
create something spectacular: “Go big or go home.”<br />
With today’s trends in home theater, you can have it both ways. You<br />
can go big, and you can stay home, avoiding the hassles of assembling in<br />
a theater to watch something you can easily obtain in the comfort of your<br />
own abode.<br />
While the entertainment industry continues to support the movie<br />
theaters by making them the first destination for eagerly awaited, big<br />
budget films like “The Avengers,” it’s clear that an equally large segment of<br />
show business is encouraging you to stay home and enjoy their offerings by<br />
subscribing to streaming services.<br />
Amazon, Netflix, Apple and other streaming services that may be coming<br />
online are now creating their own original content that is winning Academy<br />
Awards and Emmys, changing the entertainment business and enticing<br />
viewers with a library of film and TV favorites that is deep and growing.<br />
To accommodate that innovation, home theater has changed a lot<br />
in the last few years. The rise of the wireless Internet of Things, smart TVs<br />
that are Internet connected, streaming services offering new and unique<br />
content, and sound systems that are the equal of practically anything on<br />
the market are creating an experience that many find irresistible.<br />
With the price of a movie ticket climbing and public decorum<br />
becoming ever more rowdy, a growing segment of consumers are investing<br />
in themselves and creating an entertainment environment that they can<br />
enjoy every evening.<br />
–continued on page 26<br />
12.18 | ARROYO | 23
Holiday<br />
GUIDE<br />
24 | ARROYO | 12.18
from<br />
A Z<br />
TO<br />
12.18 | ARROYO | 25
—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—<br />
–continued from page 23<br />
How much should you budget? You can get a setup for as little as<br />
$500, and can go as high as $30,000 or more, depending on what you<br />
want to do, the installation process in the home (will you change the room,<br />
will wires be hidden and cabinets recessed), and whether you are building<br />
a room for your new toys or putting it in an existing space. However, the<br />
basics of a great system are something that has come way down in price.<br />
THE PERFECT SETUP<br />
The first thing to do if you decide to build your home theater setup is<br />
to take a frank look at your own living space. Do you have ample room<br />
for what you envision? You don’t want to have the screen sitting on top of<br />
your chair, or a room with a pole in it that will make for awkward viewing.<br />
A massive sub-woofer also isn’t a great idea if you are in a townhouse or<br />
condo with adjacent neighbors that you want to keep as friends.<br />
The good news when you are contemplating everything is that prices<br />
for everything are way down, thanks to the miracle of technology always<br />
getting better, faster and cheaper. A system that would have cost $12,000<br />
just a few years ago is now available for $2,500 to $3,000. In other words,<br />
even the tightest budgets can afford a primo setup, particularly if you can<br />
do the setup on your own.<br />
Building your system starts with the TV. If the kitchen is the heart of the<br />
house, then the TV is usually the focal point of all entertainment, so don’t<br />
26 | ARROYO | 12.18
—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—<br />
skimp on screen size or features. This will be your companion on most nights,<br />
or days if you’re unemployed.<br />
Determining what size screen to get is a matter of room size and how<br />
far away most viewers will sit. Naturally, you’ll want the biggest screen you<br />
can get, and most home theaters have about a 55-inch screen or bigger.<br />
Screen resolution is another factor, and here’s where it can get technical<br />
and tricky, with all sorts of acronyms thrown around. In general, an OLED<br />
(for Organic Light Emitting Diode) TV is considered top of the line, a picture<br />
so sharp and clear that you’ll feel a part of the action.<br />
SOUND<br />
Once you’ve solved the TV, the sound system is the next<br />
consideration. Here, it all starts with the receiver, which will allow you to<br />
hook up various speakers. Make sure you get one with enough inputs to<br />
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allow you to set up speakers in various places in the house, should you<br />
desire.<br />
A standard home theater receiver is a 5.1-channel system, consisting of<br />
five speakers and one sub-woofer. From there, you can go up to a 7.1 or even<br />
higher, should you wish to be absolutely immersed in sound no matter where<br />
you are in the house.<br />
SPEAKERS<br />
For those with discerning ears, you can pick and choose a speaker that<br />
truly customizes your system. Standard on a 5.1 channel receiver are two front<br />
speakers, a central channel, two rear speakers and a sub-woofer. The central<br />
channel is key, as it allows the mid-range of vocals to cut through the rest of the<br />
aural clutter. That’s key when you’re watching a film or listening to music.<br />
For those who’d rather not bother with sorting through the speaker jungle,<br />
there is also an option called Home Theater in a Box (HTIB).<br />
This is the fast solution, including all of the speakers needed that you plug<br />
into your system. Just make sure it includes a sub-woofer, as some of the kits do<br />
not.<br />
COMPONENTS AND ACCESSORIES<br />
Most TVs will have a lot of the inputs you will need to connect to<br />
various add-ons, including video gaming consoles, a Google Chromecast,<br />
Roku, Amazon Firestick, Blu-ray player, DVD player, or multiple CD players.<br />
Obviously, determine what you will want to add now and in the future when<br />
contemplating your TV purchase.<br />
So there you have it. Now it’s time to get the popcorn and pizza ready,<br />
gather the family and your friends, and get set for a night of entertainment<br />
that was formerly available only by leaving the house. The only thing you’ll<br />
miss is the hassles. And perhaps the theater’s candy selection. ||||<br />
12.18 | ARROYO | 27
HOLIDAY<br />
GIFT GUIDE<br />
BY IRENE LACHER<br />
FOR FOODIES<br />
NUNI TORTILLA TOASTER<br />
You could heat up your own tortillas<br />
on a comal, if you had one, or<br />
a griddle, if you didn’t. But why<br />
handle those hot pockets when a<br />
Nuni Tortilla Toaster will warm<br />
up six 6-inch tortillas — corn,<br />
wheat or flour — in less than a<br />
minute? Still need more warm<br />
tortillas for guests? Don’t get up<br />
from the table to stand over a hot<br />
stove. Take a seat and let Nuni do<br />
the work.<br />
$99; Sur La Table, 161 W.<br />
Colorado Blvd., Pasadena,<br />
and 138 Glendale Ave.,<br />
Glendale; surlatable.com<br />
VERMONT CRAFTED BEER JELLY<br />
True beer aficionados won’t<br />
want to limit themselves to<br />
beer by the glass when they<br />
can savor beer on toast with<br />
one of these four varieties<br />
of jelly infused with craft<br />
beers. They’re handcrafted in<br />
Vermont by former archaeologist<br />
Nancy Warner who<br />
explains her inspiration for<br />
the unusual spread: “I ran<br />
out of fruit, but I never run<br />
out of beer.”<br />
$30 for four, uncommongoods.com<br />
MAJESTIC PURE PINK HIMALAYAN SALT BLOCK<br />
Add some drama to your table by cooking and serving meats, fish or vegetables on<br />
this 12-by-8-inch pink salt block, which comes with a stainless-steel plate holder.<br />
The result is food lightly infused with salt and trace minerals, which, devotees say,<br />
improve digestion and reduce acid reflux.<br />
$44.95, majesticpure.com<br />
–continued on page 30<br />
28 | ARROYO | 12.18
12.18 | ARROYO | 29
–continued from page 28<br />
FOR ANIMAL<br />
LOVERS<br />
FOR PLAY<br />
EMBARK DOG DNA TEST KIT<br />
Congratulate friends and family for rescuing<br />
their mixed-breed fur babies. Then gift<br />
them an Embark Dog DNA Test Kit to<br />
find out their mutt’s genetic makeup —<br />
which and how much of the 400 dog breeds<br />
combined to make their utterly unique family<br />
member. That is, is the dog more labra or<br />
more doodle? Created in partnership with<br />
the Cornell University College of Veterinary<br />
Medicine.<br />
$199, shop.embarkvet.com<br />
RAGNAR ASTRO VINYL FIGURE<br />
This 5-inch-tall art toy designed by Brandon Ragnar is<br />
billed as Astro, the mascot for the Go Astro! Processing<br />
company, a credit-card processing company from the future.<br />
According to the website, Astro promises “to assist<br />
with your processing needs,” (but I wouldn’t bank on it).<br />
$19.99, 3D Retro, 1851 Victory Blvd., Glendale,<br />
3dretro.com, (818) 630-7063<br />
MELISSA & DOUG ROCK STAR ROLE PLAY SET<br />
PET PORTRAIT<br />
Immortalize your beast of choice with a<br />
fanciful portrait by Los Angeles photographer<br />
Brian Averill, whose forte is bringing out an<br />
animal’s inner hippie or glam.<br />
$600 and up, brianaverillphotography.com<br />
Gift a little girl this blingy outfit with shiny pink leggings,<br />
a zebra-printed top, one mesh-accented glove<br />
and a “microphone,” and maybe she’ll get the rock star<br />
thing out of her system before it’s too late. Machine<br />
washable.<br />
$29.99, San Marino Toy and Book Shoppe,<br />
2424 Huntington Dr., San Marino, toysandbooks.com,<br />
(626) 309-0222<br />
HEART AND BONE CUFF BRACELET<br />
Wear your heart(s) on your wrist with this<br />
acrylic cuff adorned with teeny black metal<br />
and gold-plated bones designed by Hollywood<br />
costume designer Yana Syrkin. In pink<br />
or aqua.<br />
$50, Fifi & Romeo, 7282 Beverly Blvd.,<br />
L.A., fi fi andromeo.com<br />
MAN RAY CHESS SET<br />
Dadaist Man Ray designed this surrealism-friendly wooden chess set for his legendary<br />
bouts with Marcel Duchamp.<br />
This is a re-edition of the artist’s<br />
1920s Wooden Chess Set. Chess<br />
board and pieces sold separately.<br />
Man Ray Chess Board, $250,<br />
Man Ray Chess Pieces,<br />
$430, MoMA Design Store,<br />
store.moma.org,<br />
(800) 851-4509<br />
30 | ARROYO | 12.18
FOR SARTORIAL<br />
SWAGGER<br />
GIFTS THAT<br />
GIVE BACK<br />
CAUSEBOX<br />
JUNGHANS TIMEPIECE<br />
The first rule of sophisticated style<br />
is keep it simple. This stainless-steel<br />
automatic timepiece, designed by<br />
Bauhaus alum Max Bill and made<br />
in Germany, boasts clean lines and<br />
superior functionality, which never go<br />
out of style.<br />
$1,150, The Bloke, 380 S. Lake<br />
Ave., Pasadena, thebloke.com,<br />
(626) 773-1119<br />
Causebox is riding the subscription-gift<br />
wave with quarterly<br />
boxes of jewelry, skincare, apparel<br />
and homewares that introduce<br />
women to brands that give back<br />
by donating to charity, promoting<br />
sustainability or empowering<br />
artists and artisans. Each box<br />
contains six to eight items worth<br />
close to $200, according to the<br />
website.<br />
$54.95 for one box or $199.80 for an annual subscription, causebox.com.<br />
BOXER & SOCKS GIFT SET<br />
You wouldn’t want your favorite<br />
dandy to go out with boxer shorts<br />
and socks that don’t match, would<br />
you? I didn’t think so.<br />
$48, Scotch & Soda, 105 W.<br />
Colorado Blvd., Pasadena,<br />
scotch-soda.com,<br />
(866) 544-1557<br />
SOLAR SYSTEM NECKLACE<br />
This stunning necklace of nine sterling-silver “orbits”<br />
set with semi-precious stones was made in India and<br />
sourced through CRC Exports Private Ltd., which<br />
helps the country’s artisans support their families<br />
using traditional handcrafting skills.<br />
$150, Ten Thousand Villages, 567 S. Lake<br />
Ave., Pasadena, tenthousandvillages.com,<br />
(626) 229-9892<br />
ROSE GOLD SAFETY RAZOR SHAVING SET<br />
Turn your man’s daily grooming<br />
chore into a luxurious ritual with<br />
this German-made double-edged<br />
safety razor plated with gold and<br />
copper, with chrome accents over<br />
Zamak metal. The MÜhle razor<br />
comes with its own stand.<br />
$150, The Art of Shaving, The<br />
Americana at Brand, 773<br />
Americana Way, Glendale,<br />
theartofshaving.com,<br />
(818) 244-6600<br />
BALENCIAGA LIMITED-EDITION SLIM CAT EYE<br />
These fierce black frames with smoke-colored lenses will up<br />
your giftee’s style quotient, but they aren’t mere eye candy<br />
— 20 percent of the purchase price from Olivela goes to<br />
charities benefiting girls’ education worldwide, including<br />
the Malala Fund, Too Young to Wed and CARE for Syrian<br />
refugees. These specs fund 13 days of school.<br />
$495, Olivela, olivela.com<br />
12.18 | ARROYO | 31
32 | ARROYO | 12.18
FORGING<br />
AN EAST-WEST<br />
PIPELINE<br />
From its Pasadena office, China’s Alibaba Pictures is<br />
quietly making incursions into Hollywood.<br />
BY BRENDA REES<br />
Alibaba Pictures, somewhat hidden in the Pasadena Playhouse Plaza, presents<br />
itself with a modesty at odds with Tinseltown’s tendency for hyperbole.<br />
In fact, relatively little fanfare accompanied the arrival of this film unit of<br />
China’s multinational technology behemoth, Alibaba Group (ranked among the<br />
world’s 10 most valuable and successful brands by the brand equity database BrandZ<br />
for the first time this year). Alibaba Pictures opened up shop in a 22,000-square-foot<br />
office in Pasadena in 2016.<br />
Since its landing in metro Hollywood, Alibaba Pictures has been working on a<br />
handful of deals, investing in a few film productions and distributions, and keeping,<br />
at least by in-your-face American standards, a rather low profile. The Pasadena office<br />
didn’t respond to interview requests.<br />
But in an interview with Pasadena-based East West Bank, Alibaba Pictures<br />
President Wei Zhang describes the client company’s mission here. “We see ourselves<br />
as a platform company,” she said. “Our goal in entertainment is not just to make a<br />
few movies. We’re not here to create another traditional movie studio…We are a<br />
new movie infrastructure company with Internet DNA; we use technology, data and<br />
–continued on page 35<br />
12.18 | ARROYO | 33
34 | ARROYO | 12.18
–continued from page 33<br />
our ecosystem to bring more efficiency and transparency to the filmmaking process.”<br />
Zhang describes her goal as growing Alibaba’s role as a gateway between Hollywood<br />
and China by developing appropriate content for Chinese movie audiences. And those<br />
audiences are expected to grow into the world’s largest, in light of China’s 1.4 billion<br />
population. Alibaba Pictures’ parent company has been reshaping the Chinese entertainment<br />
industry with an aggressive acquisition<br />
strategy since 2014.<br />
Formed in 1999, Alibaba is the brainchild of one of China’s most beloved businessmen<br />
— Jack Ma. He’s been called the<br />
Steve Jobs of China because of his<br />
business savvy, his inspirational lead-<br />
ership and his intimate understanding nding<br />
of the American and Hollywood cultures.<br />
An e-commerce company at its<br />
core, Alibaba leverages entertainment nment<br />
ventures (film production investments,<br />
movie and live events ticketing apps,<br />
video-streaming platforms, mobile<br />
content browsers and others) to promote interests in a multifaceted ted<br />
cross-<br />
business ecosystem.<br />
For example, Alibaba invested ed in<br />
Amblin Partner’s 2017 film A Dog’s<br />
Purpose (starring Dennis Quaid and<br />
Josh Gad) and helmed marketing the<br />
flick in China. Overall, the movie<br />
raked in only $64 million in the U.S., but<br />
it made $88 million in China with the help<br />
of Alibaba’s online movie ticketing app, Tao Piao Piao — in China more than 80<br />
percent of movie tickets are bought online using apps.<br />
From its Pasadena offices, Alibaba continues the Amblin partnership with the sequel,<br />
A Dog’s Journey, slated for a May 2019 release. Alibaba’s other successful movie<br />
investments include big-budget action flicks such as Dunkirk, Teenage Mutant Ninja<br />
Turtles: Out of the Shadows, Star Trek Beyond and Mission Impossible — Fallout.<br />
Earlier this year, Alibaba Pictures announced it was partnering with STX Entertainment<br />
on the Robert Zemeckis–produced Steel Soldiers, an original sci-fi action<br />
movie set in a futuristic world where humans and androids battle side-by-side. Also<br />
this year, Alibaba threw its hat into the ring with other studios (21st Century Fox,<br />
CHINESE MOVIE<br />
AUDIENCES... ARE EXPECTED<br />
TO GROW INTO THE<br />
WORLD’S LARGEST, IN LIGHT<br />
OF CHINA’S 1.4 BILLION<br />
POPULATION.<br />
Disney, NBCUniversal, etc.) to fund Jeffrey Katzenberg’s streaming video startup,<br />
NewTV, which is creating short content for small screens.<br />
For the younger set, Alibaba is producing a full-length adaption of the hit children’s<br />
TV series Peppa Pig, based on a beloved series of animated characters that<br />
premiered in the U.K. in 2004. (The movie will be a combination of animation and<br />
live<br />
action.) It’s scheduled to be released ed during Chinese New Year 2019, which will<br />
usher in the Year of (what else?) the Pig.<br />
So<br />
what can we make of this<br />
Chinese entertainment company<br />
that invests in American big-action<br />
films, heartwarming family flicks and<br />
charming children’s fare?<br />
“I predict that Alibaba will be a<br />
good neighbor and a good company<br />
in the Southland, but I don’t think<br />
it will be a game-changer for the<br />
Southland,” says Tom Nunan, an international<br />
cinema expert, lecturer at<br />
UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film and<br />
Television and partner in Bulls’ Eye<br />
Entertainment, a mid-size indepen-<br />
dent film and television production<br />
company.<br />
Nunan remembers the ChinaHol-<br />
lywood lovefest of a few years ago<br />
that seized the imagination of producers, financiers nciers and<br />
investors, eager to partner up<br />
with a new foreign market, foreign talent and foreign money. The hope was that such<br />
a move would herald development of a China-L.A. synergy, especially since Northern<br />
California — with its emerging technology in software and AI — has had a longstanding<br />
relationship with Beijing.<br />
In 2015, leading Chinese investment and entertainment companies, such as Fosun<br />
International, LeTV, Dalian Wanda and, of course, Alibaba, were all going Hollywood;<br />
Wanda had just bought the AMC Theatre chain, and the STX production<br />
company was doing a deal with China’s Huayi Brothers Media Group. “All of us in<br />
entertainment had stars in our eyes, thinking, Wow! China’s investment in us will<br />
pump up the volume in Hollywood financially, content-wise, across the board,” Nunan<br />
continues. “We have all sobered up since then.”<br />
–continued on page 36<br />
12.18 | ARROYO | 35
–continued from page 35<br />
36 | ARROYO | 12.18<br />
Indeed, part of the sobering reality is that the Chinese government limits and restricts<br />
the type of entertainment that can be distributed. China doesn’t have a motion<br />
picture rating system; all films must be approved by Chinese censors who officially<br />
promote Confucian morality, political stability and social harmony. For all practical<br />
purposes, these are PG films — which are the least frequently produced films in Hollywood.<br />
“Think of it this way: The Chinese government is acting the way the FCC acted<br />
in the ’70s,” explains Nunan. “They are really, really, really strict about the kind of<br />
content they want their citizenry to be exposed to. Also, don’t forget, there is no free<br />
Internet in China. Very few countries in the world restrict the freedom to surf the<br />
web. That’s not to say you can’t do business with China. There are opportunities, but it<br />
can be complicated.”<br />
It addition to content, since 1994 Beijing has been restricting the number of American<br />
films that can be shown in Chinese theaters. The quota started at 10, increasing to<br />
34 films per year in 2012 with the proviso that at least 14 be in 3D or IMAX format.<br />
Of course, Hollywood would like to raise that quota, writes Michael Dresden at<br />
ChinaLawBlog.com. “But the on-again, off-again U.S.– China trade war has thrown<br />
those negotiations for a loop and effectively given China the ability to take whatever<br />
position it likes, from slapping a huge tariff on all U.S. films to conceding on all of<br />
Hollywood’s deal points,” Dresden writes. “But China is in no hurry to agree to anything.<br />
Why should it be? They’re fine with the status quo.”<br />
Still, China’s Alibaba is here in the Southland to be a player, and it’s also a<br />
resource for filmmakers and studios here, contends Nunan. Of course, setting up shop<br />
in Pasadena may have surprised many, considering that the prime entertainment hubs<br />
are in Burbank, Hollywood or the West Side. Says Nunan: “I think the strategy of<br />
the move was to announce that ‘We are a Chinese company. Most of the influential<br />
Chinese folk live right here in the Pasadena area and this is where we feel most comfortable.’<br />
It’s wonderful that they are unabashedly embracing the neighborhood. Why<br />
shouldn’t Alibaba reward them by locating here? This is where their heartbeat is.” ||||<br />
PHOTO: Gary Leonard
12.18 | ARROYO | 37
KITCHEN<br />
CONFESSIONS<br />
Nog Days<br />
MILK PLUS ALCOHOL EQUALS TASTY HOLIDAY CHEER.<br />
BY LESLIE BILDERBACK<br />
Iam not a Christmas crazy. I don’t early observe. There is never anything<br />
Christmasy visible on Thanksgiving. The tree goes up late in <strong>December</strong>, just before<br />
the kids come home, and I save the decorating until they can join in. We are the<br />
last on the street to put up lights, and I am one of those last-minute shoppers. It’s not<br />
that I don’t enjoy the season. But with the kids grown and gone, and a job to work at,<br />
the preparation has lost its magic. (Relax. I am not going to complain about my empty<br />
nest again this month.)<br />
The only exception I make to pre-Christmas revelry is the immediate tuning of the<br />
car radio to the station that plays Christmas music, and the regular purchase of eggnog.<br />
The way I see it, drinking eggnog with one’s leftover turkey-cranberry sandwich is totally<br />
acceptable. I love it so much.<br />
The eggnog selection at the grocery store is crazy right now. You can get eggnog to suit<br />
whatever stage of lactose participation you are in. And because it is so readily available, it<br />
has become a regular item on the <strong>December</strong> shopping list. Eggnog lets me feel the holiday<br />
spirit with very little effort, and without lining the pockets of Starbucks.<br />
The eggnog that you buy in the grocery store is the descendant — or rather, the<br />
amalgamation — of several old-timey milk-based beverages. Granted, milk plus alcohol<br />
sounds gross on the surface. The combination always reminds me of the time I was served<br />
homemade “Bailey’s,” then had to call in sick the next day. But in the Middle Ages, milk<br />
and booze was, as they say, fancy pants. In preindustrial Northern Europe, few people<br />
had cows, so moo juice was largely the privilege of wealthy landowners. The best chance<br />
to find one of these milky cocktails was after a fox hunt on the estate of Lord Rupert<br />
Brimblegoggin-Tricklebank.<br />
The first written version of something similar to eggnog was called posset, documented<br />
in 14th-century cookery books as a beverage made from milk, wine and spices that would<br />
be curdled and strained. Yes, you are right if you think it sounds like whey that gets you<br />
drunk. To that I say, “No, thank you.” Fifteenth-century recipes saw the addition of sugar,<br />
cream and sometimes eggs, which sounds a little better. They even had special posset pots<br />
for this, which look something like a teapot, but with two handles. If there is a recipe that<br />
involves an obscure piece of crockery I can buy, then I am completely on board.<br />
Nog was a 17th-century term for English ale, and wooden drinking cups were called<br />
noggins. There are English recipes from that century that mix ale and milk, but it is<br />
thought that the term eggnog was coined by American colonists who mixed rum — or<br />
grog — with eggs and milk. Egg-n-grog eventually became eggnog, because here in<br />
38 | ARROYO | 12.18
ARROYO COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH<br />
America we never use two names when they can be combined into one. (See “Bennifer”).<br />
These drinks gained popularity in the American colonies, where, though there were<br />
few fancy estates, there were plenty of cows. Here, colonists mixed their milk with rum,<br />
not ale, because, thanks to the triangle trade, it was cheap and plentiful.<br />
(Stop here for a moment and reflect on the terrible history of slavery before resuming<br />
blissful holiday reading.)<br />
Even though I consume store-bought eggnog on the regular, I will, when the occasion<br />
arises, happily whip up a batch from scratch the old-fashioned way. Especially when it<br />
means I can dust off the punch bowl. I could very easily turn to the Internet for an eggnog<br />
recipe. But I am not interested in a lame recipe that involves cooking your eggs into a<br />
custard. This is a modern step that was added when people started freaking out about raw<br />
eggs. I do not condone such paranoia, as I have only ever gotten salmonella from old fish,<br />
and I know that salmonella is more easily contracted from cutting a melon than cracking<br />
an egg. Also, I know that agitation (a.k.a. “beating”) denatures protein in the same way<br />
that heat does, and therefore whipped eggs are technically cooked.<br />
Also, I live on the edge.<br />
So, instead, I like to thumb through my ridiculous cookbook collection and find<br />
something truly ancient. My new favorite eggnog recipe came from the crispy, browning<br />
pages of America’s Cook Book, compiled in 1938 by the Home Institute of the New York<br />
Herald Tribune. The eggnog recipe in the cocktail chapter is the same as the recipe from<br />
the beverage chapter, but the former's title was changed from Egg Nog to New Year’s<br />
Egg Nog because it sounded mighty boozy. Apparently, the ladies (I’m obviously making<br />
a gender assumption here) of the Home Institute of the New York Herald Tribune wanted<br />
you to think they only drank on holidays. The 18th Amendment was repealed in 1933,<br />
ladies! Have at it!<br />
Happy holidays!||||<br />
NEW YEAR’S EGGNOG<br />
Dust off your punch bowl or posset pot and try this for your next holiday gathering.<br />
I dare you! This recipe makes 24 1938-style portions, meaning dainty punch cups. If<br />
you are using larger cups, plan accordingly. Similarly, if you are just making this for<br />
yourself, cut down all ingredients equally across the board.<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
6 eggs, separated<br />
¾ cup granulated sugar<br />
1½ cups cognac<br />
½ cup rum<br />
4 cups milk<br />
4 cups heavy cream<br />
Freshly grated nutmeg<br />
METHOD<br />
1. Whip the egg yolks and sugar until very light in color, and about as thick as<br />
sour cream (known in the biz as a “ribbon”). Slowly, while still beating, add the<br />
cognac and rum, then the milk and cream.<br />
2. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks, then gently fold them<br />
into the yolk mixture. Top each serving with a generous sprinkling of grated nutmeg.<br />
Leslie Bilderback is a chef and cookbook author, a certified master baker and<br />
an art history instructor. She lives in South Pasadena and teaches her techniques<br />
online at culinarymasterclass.com.<br />
THROWBACK BAR’S<br />
OLD-FASHIONED<br />
You have to love a bar with a daily happy hour that starts at noon, and Glendale’s<br />
under-the-radar Tavern on Brand is precisely that throwback neighborhood<br />
establishment, with drink discounts from noon to 7. Within the narrow space<br />
flanked by exposed brick walls, you’ll find nothing hip or trendy, just standard cocktails,<br />
beer and wine. Yes, the requisite TVs hang on the wall behind the bartender, but there’s<br />
more talking here and less watching the tube, unless there’s a game on.<br />
Pretty much the grandfather of the brown spirit cocktail, the old-fashioned, dating back<br />
to the early 1800s, finds simplicity and purpose here. There are variations on this theme:<br />
Some shun club soda, others use a sugar cube, but the Tavern turns out a tidy tipple. The<br />
soda provides a very slight tactile effervescence, while the simple syrup is cleaner than<br />
straight sugar, which doesn’t always dissolve with the addition of bourbon. Three Chord is a<br />
sweeter bourbon with caramel and butterscotch notes, so it’s appealing and comfortable, not<br />
bitter or difficult. Have this with their jalapeňo poppers or roasted turkey club. ||||<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
2 ounces Three Chord Blended Bourbon<br />
Whiskey<br />
2 dashes Angostura Bitters<br />
STORY AND PHOTO<br />
BY MICHAEL CERVIN<br />
TAVERN OLD-FASHIONED<br />
½ ounce simple syrup<br />
Splash club soda<br />
Ice cubes<br />
METHOD<br />
Place simple syrup in old-fashioned glass. Add bitters, rotate the liquid around the<br />
base and sides of the glass. Add ice cubes, then bourbon. Garnish with orange<br />
slice.<br />
12.18 | ARROYO | 39
THE LIST<br />
Wine, Women and<br />
Song Mark<br />
Huntington<br />
Holidays<br />
Dec. 1 — Guests can<br />
handcraft a holiday<br />
wreath and garland with fresh evergreen<br />
branches, bright berries and richly colored<br />
flowers from 10 a.m. to noon, in a craft session<br />
presented by Flower Duet. All materials<br />
are provided. Cost is $100 ($85 for members).<br />
Register at huntington.org/calendar.<br />
Dec. 6 — Sommelier Brad Owen presents an<br />
in-depth lecture on Champagne and sparkling<br />
wines, followed by a tasting of a dozen vintages,<br />
with bread and cheese, from 5 to 7:30<br />
p.m. The cost is $105 ($90 for members). Visit<br />
huntington.org/calendar to register.<br />
Dec. 13 — The Vox Feminae vocal ensemble<br />
dons medieval and Renaissance costumes<br />
to perform a concert of sacred and secular<br />
holiday music from those eras, playing period<br />
instruments, from 1 to 2 p.m. Admission is free.<br />
Dec. 26 through 30 — The Huntington’s<br />
popular annual Viewing Stones Show<br />
features outstanding examples of suiseki and<br />
other stones that invite contemplation of the<br />
subtle, sometimes fanciful forms shaped by<br />
nature, the elements and time, from 10 a.m.<br />
to 5 p.m. daily. Free with regular admission of<br />
$25 weekdays ($29 for weekends), $21 ($24)<br />
for seniors and students and $13 for youth<br />
ages 4 to 11; children under 4 are admitted<br />
free. 13 and older. Ticket prices start at $30.<br />
The Huntington Library, Art Collections and<br />
Botanical Gardens is located at 1151 Oxford<br />
Rd., San Marino. Call (626) 405-2100 or visit<br />
huntington.org.<br />
Seasonal Tour,<br />
Boutique Benefits<br />
Symphony<br />
Dec. 1 and 2 — The<br />
Women’s Committee<br />
of the Pasadena Symphony Association<br />
presents the annual Holiday Look In Home<br />
Tour and Boutique. The self-guided tour<br />
includes four historic and architecturally<br />
significant homes and gardens in Pasadena,<br />
decorated for the holidays by four local<br />
floral designers. Tours, enhanced by live<br />
music, run from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the<br />
boutique, open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both<br />
days, will have live music at the Scottish<br />
Rite Cathedral. Tour tickets cost $35. Home<br />
locations are on the tickets. Orders received<br />
after Nov. 23 will be held at the will-call desk<br />
at the cathedral. Boutique admission is free.<br />
The Scottish Rite Cathedral is located at 150<br />
GARFIELD HEIGHTS<br />
HOME TOUR<br />
Dec. 2 — The annual Garfield Heights Home Tour features five historic homes and the<br />
gardens of an Italianate Victorian house on the city’s north side. The tour of Pasadena’s<br />
second oldest landmark district runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and features a<br />
Victorian cottage and Colonial Revival and Arts and Crafts residences. Roving<br />
entertainment, vendors, exhibitions and food trucks are included in the tour. Tickets<br />
cost $25 in advance, $10 for Garfield Heights residents, $30 the day of the tour (available<br />
at the ticket house, 1245 N. Garfield Ave., Pasadena). Locations are provided<br />
with ticket purchase.<br />
Visit garfi eldheights.org.<br />
N. Madison Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 793-<br />
7172 or visit pasadenasymphony-pops.org.<br />
A Noise Within<br />
Presents A<br />
Christmas Carol<br />
Dec. 1 through Dec.<br />
23 — Classical repertory<br />
theater company<br />
A Noise Within unveils its annual holiday<br />
favorite, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol,<br />
at 2 p.m. Dec. 1. The classic story of greed<br />
and forgiveness continues through Dec. 23.<br />
Co-producing Artistic Director Geoff Elliott<br />
adapted the play from the novella and<br />
co-directs with Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, also<br />
co-producing artistic director. Tickets start<br />
at $25.<br />
A Noise Within is located at 3352 E. Foothill<br />
Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 356-3121 or visit<br />
anoisewithin.org.<br />
South Lake<br />
Avenue<br />
Holidayfest<br />
Dec. 1 — The South<br />
Lake Avenue Business<br />
Association presents Holidayfest, a free afternoon<br />
of live music, in-store specials at 50-plus<br />
South Lake businesses, traditional carolers<br />
and holiday characters, Santa meet-andgreets,<br />
horse and carriage rides and a<br />
scavenger hunt. It runs from noon to 5 p.m.<br />
at The Shops on Lake Avenue.<br />
The Shops on Lake Avenue are located<br />
at 345 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena. Visit<br />
southlakeavenue.org.<br />
Holiday Open House at Historic Hotel<br />
Dec. 2 — Pasadena’s former grand hotel,<br />
the 1898-vintage Castle Green, is once<br />
again open to the public for the holidays<br />
in its annual tour. The fully restored condominium<br />
complex was designed by architect<br />
Frederick I. Roehrig, with Moorish, Spanish<br />
and Victorian elements. The day will feature<br />
music, other entertainment and self-guided<br />
tours of the building, including some 25<br />
private apartments. Tickets cost $30 in advance,<br />
$35 at the gate on tour day.<br />
The Castle Green is located at 99 S. Raymond<br />
Ave., Pasadena. Visit castlegreen.com.<br />
Leading Ladies of<br />
Tapestry and Titian<br />
Dec. 7 — The Norton<br />
Simon opens Once<br />
Upon a Tapestry: Woven<br />
Tales of Helen and Dido, an exhibition<br />
of rare tapestries and cartoons illustrating<br />
two iconic love stories from the classic epics<br />
the Iliad and the Aeneid. As described in<br />
Homer’s Iliad, Helen's romance with Prince<br />
Paris of Troy is represented in four Flemish<br />
tapestries, circa 1500. Queen Dido of Carthage<br />
and her affair with Virgil’s hero Aeneas<br />
A SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS<br />
COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER<br />
are depicted in a rare set of six cartoons<br />
and one related tapestry from the early 17th<br />
century. Together, the works demonstrate the<br />
appeal of these female-centric narratives<br />
in early modern Europe and the power of<br />
tapestry to tell their stories. The exhibit runs<br />
through May 27.<br />
Dec. 19 — The museum unveils Titian’s Lady<br />
in White, circa 1561, on loan from the Gemäldegalerie<br />
Alte Meister in Dresden, in its first<br />
visit to Southern California. The subject’s identity<br />
has eluded scholars for centuries, and<br />
the work has been a highlight of Dresden’s<br />
art collection for more than 250 years. It will<br />
be on view in the 16th- and 17th-century art<br />
wing, amid works by Titian’s contemporaries,<br />
including Bellini and Giorgione, through<br />
March 25.<br />
The Norton Simon Museum is located at 411<br />
W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 449-<br />
6840 or visit nortonsimon.org.<br />
LACO Revises Vivaldi<br />
with Mandolin<br />
Dec. 13 — The L.A.<br />
Chamber Orchestra<br />
continues its Baroque<br />
Conversations concert series with an<br />
all-Vivaldi program that reimagines the<br />
conductor’s seminal work, The Four Seasons.<br />
The work was originally composed as four<br />
related violin concertos, but L.A. mandolin<br />
virtuoso Avi Avital performed it in a 2016<br />
concert with the Venice Baroque Orchestra.<br />
Avital leads the program, which starts at 7:30<br />
p.m. at Zipper Hall in downtown L.A. Ticket<br />
prices start at $52. The concert repeats at<br />
7:30 p.m. Dec. 14 at St. Monica Catholic<br />
Church, Santa Monica.<br />
Zipper Hall is located at 200 S. Grand Ave.,<br />
L.A. Call (213) 622-7001 or visit laco.org.<br />
A Wonderful Winter of Oz<br />
Dec. 14 — Lythgoe Family Panto presents<br />
its world premiere production of The<br />
Wonderful Winter of Oz, opening today<br />
and continuing through Dec. 30 at the<br />
Pasadena Civic Auditorium. The show is<br />
a holiday version of the classic Wizard of<br />
Oz. On Christmas Eve, Dorothy (played<br />
by singer, actress and dancer Mackenzie<br />
Ziegler) is swept away by a Kansas blizzard<br />
to a world of munchkins and witches. The<br />
production features music by Wham! and<br />
Journey. Performances are at 1 and 6 p.m.<br />
today and continue at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays,<br />
2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Fridays and 1 and<br />
6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through<br />
Dec. 30. Ticket prices start at $40. Golden<br />
40 | ARROYO | 12.18
THE LIST<br />
CONCERT, CAROL AND<br />
CLAUS IN ARCADIA<br />
Dec. 8<br />
— Christmas it<br />
with<br />
Maki is an enchanted nte<br />
de<br />
evening of music, featuring classically<br />
trained violinist and 12-language operatic singer Maki, along with special guests. It runs<br />
from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 to $60.<br />
Dec. 9 — Vaulting Ambition, Arcadia’s new, professional theater company, presents the<br />
holiday favorite, Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, with a sensory-friendly performance from<br />
11 a.m. to noon and a regular performance from 1 to 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 for students,<br />
$30 for adults; VIP tickets go for $40.<br />
Dec. 9 — Sunday with Santa, an annual Arcadia PAC tradition, features photo<br />
opportunities with Mr. and Mrs. Claus and a gift-making session with the help of friendly<br />
elves at Santa’s Workshop, from 2 to 5 p.m. Raffl e tickets, hot chocolate and other treats<br />
will be available for purchase. Admission is free.<br />
Arcadia Performing Arts Center is located at 188 Campus Dr., Arcadia. Call (626) 821-1781<br />
or visit arcadiapaf.org.<br />
Tickets, including an onstage experience<br />
for children ages 4 to 12, are $75 each.<br />
The Pasadena Civic Auditorium is located at<br />
300 E. Green St., Pasadena. Visit thepasadenacivic.com.<br />
A Holiday Staple<br />
at Parson’s Nose<br />
Theater<br />
Dec. 15, 16, 22 and<br />
23 — Parson’s Nose<br />
reprises its annual holiday<br />
tradition of staging Dickens’ A Christmas<br />
Carol in a Reader’s Theater Series production.<br />
It is the classic tale of greed, epiphany<br />
and redemption with Scrooge, Tiny Tim and<br />
the impoverished Cratchit family. Performances<br />
start at 8 p.m. Dec. 15 and 22 and 3<br />
p.m. Dec. 16 and 23. Tickets cost $20, $15 for<br />
seniors and $10 for students.<br />
Parson’s Nose Theater is located at 95 N.<br />
Marengo Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 403-<br />
7667 or visit parwsonsnose.com.<br />
Symphony Candlelight Concert<br />
at All Saints<br />
Dec. 15 — The Pasadena Symphony presents<br />
its annual Holiday Candlelight Concert<br />
at the historic All Saints Church. The concert<br />
features the L.A. Children’s Chorus, the<br />
Donald Brinegar Singers and the L.A. Bronze<br />
Handbell Ensemble accompanying the<br />
orchestra. Tony-nominated vocalist Valarie<br />
Pettiford performs, and David Lockington<br />
conducts. Concerts start at 4 and 7 p.m.<br />
Tickets cost $20 to $100 for the 4 p.m. performance,<br />
$20 to $150 for the evening show.<br />
All Saints Church is located at 132 N. Euclid<br />
Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 793-7172 or visit<br />
pasadenasymphony-pops.org.<br />
The Nutcracker by Youth Ballet<br />
Dec. 21, 22 and 23 — The L.A. Youth<br />
Ballet performs The Nutcracker at the Alex<br />
Theatre. The production stars former Joffrey<br />
Ballet dancer Brooklyn Mack in the role of<br />
the Sugar Plum Fairy’s Cavalier and Darrion<br />
Sellman, a 14-year-old Youth America Grand<br />
Prix winner, as the Nutcracker. Andrea Paris-<br />
Gutierrez choreographs a youth-inspired<br />
version of the two-act ballet to Tchaikovsky’s<br />
score. The curtain rises at 7 p.m. Friday,<br />
2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.<br />
Ticket prices start at $25.<br />
The Alex Theatre is located at 216 N. Brand<br />
Blvd., Glendale. Call (818) 243-2539 or visit<br />
alextheatre.org.<br />
Christmas Eve at<br />
Music Center<br />
Dec. 24 — The 59th<br />
annual L.A. County<br />
Holiday Celebration<br />
at the Music Center’s<br />
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion celebrates the<br />
–continued on page42<br />
12.18 | ARROYO | 41
THE LIST<br />
“PROHIBITION” HITS<br />
UNION STATION<br />
Dec. 31 — L.A.’s LA’ historic i Union Station ti is the scene of a Prohibition-themed New<br />
Year’s Eve celebration. “Prohibition NYE” offers a Roaring Twenties atmosphere,<br />
featuring L.A.’s Classixx in a DJ set of disco-inspired tunes. In addition, musical<br />
acts, including a jazz ensemble and a burlesque troupe, perform on three<br />
stages. Producers McCullough and Ross partner with public radio station KCRW<br />
to present the celebration. The party runs from 9 p.m. Monday to 2 a.m. Tuesday.<br />
Tickets cost $185.<br />
Union Station is located at 800 N. Alameda St., L.A. Visit prohibitionnye.com.<br />
–continued from page 41<br />
city's various cultures with performances<br />
by numerous choirs, music ensembles and<br />
dance companies from the L.A. area. The<br />
free event runs from 3 to 6 p.m., with free<br />
parking under the Music Center. The event<br />
will be broadcast live on PBS SoCal.<br />
The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion<br />
is located at 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A. Visit<br />
holidaycelebration.org.<br />
Rose Parade<br />
Float Decoration<br />
Viewing<br />
Dec. 28 through 31 —<br />
See the Rose Parade<br />
floats being decorated<br />
from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to<br />
5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday<br />
and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at Rosemont<br />
Pavilion. Tickets cost $15 and are available<br />
at the door or through Sharp Seating; admission<br />
is free for children under 6.<br />
Rosemont Pavilion is located at 700 Seco St.,<br />
Pasadena. Call or visit Sharp Seating at (626)<br />
795-4171 or sharpseating.com. Visit tournamentofroses.com/events<br />
for information.<br />
Previews of Parade Marching Bands<br />
Dec. 29 and 30 — Pasadena City College's<br />
Robinson Stadium is the place to catch<br />
Bandfest, an early look at the marching<br />
bands scheduled to perform in the parade.<br />
Bandfest I starts at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Bandfest<br />
II is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Sunday and<br />
Bandfest III starts at 2 p.m., also on Sunday.<br />
Tickets to each session cost $15 — free<br />
for children under 6 — and are available<br />
through Sharp Seating.<br />
Pasadena City College is located at 1570 E.<br />
Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call Sharp Seating<br />
at (626) 795-4171 or visit sharpseating.<br />
com. Visit tournamentofroses.com/events<br />
for information.<br />
Meet Steeds and Riders<br />
at Equestfest<br />
Dec. 29 — Guests can view the horses<br />
scheduled to appear in the Rose Parade<br />
up close at the L.A. Equestrian Center in<br />
Burbank. Horses and riders perform drills<br />
and dances and demonstrate trick riding<br />
and roping. Visitors can also check out<br />
the stables, talk to riders and learn about<br />
riding equipment and the various breeds.<br />
A vendor court will offer music, food and<br />
drink. Gates open at 10 a.m., the vendor<br />
court and activities run from 10 a.m. to<br />
3 p.m. and the equestrian show goes from<br />
noon to 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15 general<br />
admission, free for children under 6, and<br />
VIP reserved-seat tickets are $40.<br />
The L.A. Equestrian Center is located at<br />
480 W. Riverside Dr., Burbank. Call (626)<br />
795-4171 or visit sharpseating.com for tickets<br />
and tournamentofroses.com/events for<br />
information. ||||<br />
42 | ARROYO | 12.18
12.18 | ARROYO | 43
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